Women’s perspective on the Dutch primary care of acute cystitis and the potential role of the community pharmacy: A qualitative semi-structured interview study

Abstract

Background: Due to the workload of general practices, task reallocation of acute cystitis (AC) to the community pharmacy is a possible relief. Research has shown that the diagnosis of AC with a validated questionnaire is as good as with the urine test.

Objective: The aim of this study was to gain insight into the perspective of women on the care process during AC diagnosis and treatment, their wishes and needs. Furthermore, the aim was to explore women’s perspective on the pharmacist’s role regarding the care process of AC.

Method: A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was conducted. Women were invited to participate in the study if they were ≥18 years old, received at least one antibiotic prescription for AC in the past six months, and were proficient in the Dutch language. The interview guide covered the following topics: the experience with current healthcare, self-care and lifestyle recommendations, perspective on diagnosing using a questionnaire, and the perspective on an AC service by the community pharmacy. The analyses were performed with the program NVivo.

Results: Seventeen participants were included in the data analysis. Participants almost always recognized the symptoms of AC correctly. Most participants had a positive experience with the urine test to diagnose AC. The participants were divided in their preference for a urine test or questionnaire to diagnose AC, with a slightly larger majority in preference for the urine test. Many participants had no points for improvement in the delivery of care for AC by the general practice. The majority of women were open to having AC care organized by the community pharmacy. All participants had applied at least one of the lifestyle recommendations to prevent or treat AC. Many participants reported that they had used self-care products to prevent or treat AC.

Conclusion: This study indicates women experience an overall satisfaction with the care of AC by the general practitioner practice, as well as an openness to the task reallocation of this care to the community pharmacy.